


Different Than We Used to Be

by EmpressOfEdge



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, One Shot, Post V7 Ch5, oh kinda spoilers for the DC comics too?, so like SPOILERS, they're light spoilers but still, youve been warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 15:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21654664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressOfEdge/pseuds/EmpressOfEdge
Summary: With a sigh, Yang tosses her towel onto the back of one of the desk chairs and stretches as she turns to the beds. Both Ruby’s and Weiss’s are empty, which comes as no surprise. Ruby’s been happy to spend most of her free time with Penny, and Weiss has been pretty excited about seeing Winter again, so she has a pretty good idea of where each of them would go on their night off.Blake, however, is on her bed, sitting slightly slouched with her back against the wall, sifting through her new Scroll.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 41
Kudos: 407





	Different Than We Used to Be

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE DON'T READ IT UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN CH5 OKAY? Or if you don't care about some light spoilers. lol Anyway, enjoy!

Yang is exhausted. Between training, and missions, and trying to prepare for Amity’s launch, she feels like she hasn’t slept in days. She’s excited to actually be doing some real huntress work, of course; she just wishes that the world could only be in trouble after at least 9am.

So, when they’re told they have the night off, Yang’s quick to take it as a good time to just hang out in their dorm and get some rest.

She showers and slips into her Atlas sweats and t-shirt before heading back to the dorm for the night, ready to sit back with some video games, or maybe read that book Blake recommended.

Yang sighs as the thought of her partner crosses her mind, her hand hesitating on the handle to their room. Things have been… different between them. Good different. Great different. At least to her. She’s fairly certain that Blake feels the same, but she doesn’t want to assume.

Even if Blake is always eager to pair off with her for missions. Or makes it a point to tug her along in the mornings to make sure Yang’s not late for meetings. Or feels perfectly comfortable passing out in her lap during those same boring meetings.

Yang would be lying if she said that last one hasn’t been at the forefront of her mind since it happened.

But there’s also all the warning signs that have been going up around them. Before running with the Ace Ops, Yang never thought twice about how close she is with her teammates. Never thought twice about how deeply she cares for Blake. Sure, it’s all new and a little nerve wracking, but she never conceived how she feels as a _bad_ thing. She could never. How could what she feels for Blake be considered anything other than extraordinary?

She shakes her head, clearing her mind with a deep breath before finally twisting the handle and wandering into their dorm room.

The Atlas dorms are still taking some getting used to. Where the dorms at Beacon had been homey and vibrant and full of character and life, given to them by its students, the Atlas ones are very… boring. Militaristic. If not for the desks and computers, Yang would think they’re staying in the barracks.

With a sigh, Yang tosses her towel onto the back of one of the desk chairs and stretches as she turns to the beds. Both Ruby’s and Weiss’s are empty, which comes as no surprise. Ruby’s been happy to spend most of her free time with Penny, and Weiss has been pretty excited about seeing Winter again, so she has a pretty good idea of where each of them would go on their night off.

Blake, however, is on her bed, sitting slightly slouched with her back against the wall, sifting through her new Scroll. It reminds Yang of their Beacon days. Of coming back to the dorm to find Blake curled up in her bed with a book, only to be completely distracted by the antics of the rest of team RWBY. Usually herself, if she’s being honest. Yang had always made it a point to try and help Blake break out of her shell during their school days. Going to rodeos, out fishing, to bars…

A smile stretches across her face at the memories. At all her poorly executed attempts to try and impress her. She can admit it to herself now, that that’s really what she wanted. For Blake to see that she could offer her excitement, happiness… whatever she wanted. It had been foolish, but Yang can’t find it in her heart to regret it.

She wonders what might’ve happened if things had just continued that way. If they’d gone on in their training at Beacon. If she took her out again and again. Got to learn about her whole past on Blake’s terms. She wonders what they might’ve been to each other if the Fall had never—

“Yang?”

Yang jumps at her name, finally realizing that Blake is now no longer looking at her Scroll, but rather at her. Yang scratches the back of her head with an awkward smile. “Sorry! Just… just tired.”

She shakes her head, breaking eye contact with Blake as she heads for the ladder that leads up to her bunk. Honestly, she wants to kick herself, because if she keeps staring at Blake and getting herself _caught, _she’s going to absolutely die of embarrassment.

She’s only a few steps up when Blake’s voice breaks the silence again. “A-Actually, do you maybe want to stay down here?” Blake asks. Yang can’t see her face, but she stops dead in her tracks as Blake continues. “I was thinking we could just… hang out. Like we used to.”

Yang drops back to the ground and leans back from the ladder to look at Blake. She looks shy and hopeful, but quickly shakes her head when they make eye contact. “But if you’re tired, I totally understa—”

“No! No, I’d like to.” She hesitates for a moment, but then she inches forward onto Blake’s bed, hissing as she bumps her head on the bottom of her own bunk when she turns to sit. Blake giggles, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. “Glad my pain amuses you,” Yang says with a smirk, rubbing at her head.

Blake’s laugher dies out until she’s simply smiling with a light shake of her head. “Not your pain,” Blake says, taking Yang’s hand in hers, using her other to brush her fingertips lightly over Yang’s forehead. Her eyes flick to Yang’s, light and mirthful. “Just your clumsiness.”

Yang smiles back softly, enjoying the way Blake’s fingers stop worrying at any potential injury and start combing their way through her hair instead. This is in no way hanging out like they used to. Sure, they’d gotten pretty close at Beacon, but they had never been like this. Not sitting this close on one of their beds, just enjoying each other’s presence. Holding each other’s hands. Raking their fingers through each other’s hair.

Not that Yang’s complaining. She’s so not complaining.

Blake pulls her hand away only a moment later, shifting until she can easily rest her head against Yang’s shoulder. Their fingers lace together, and Yang can’t help but stare down at their hands, perfectly intertwined. Blake’s thumb trails lightly over her knuckles as she speaks, “So… how are you holding up?”

Yang sighs. There’s clearly something else on Blake’s mind, she can feel it in the way she’s not entirely relaxed into her side. In the stilted, forced, small talk. But she’s not going to push. Blake’s given her so much, and if she’s not ready to delve into whatever she’s really thinking about yet, Yang’s more than happy to play along. “I’m alright,” Yang says with a shrug, doing her best not to jostle Blake from her spot. She sighs again, tilting her head to rest on Blake’s as she squeezes her hand. “Definitely feeling pretty good right now.”

Blake hums, just barely moving her head in a motion that might be considered a nod at the angle it’s at. When she speaks, she’s a little distant. “Yeah…”

Yang can’t help the slight twinge in her chest at Blake’s response. Maybe she’d been hoping for a more enthusiastic response, or at least one that would reciprocate the sentiment a little more. She clears her throat, shifting a little, restless. “S-So what about you? You okay? I know there’s been a lot—”

“Yang?”

Yang lets out a shaky breath. “Yeah?”

“You’re not… you’re not just a teammate to me. You know that, right?”

Yang swallows hard, her pulse pounding in her ears. Of course, she knows that, but the implication hiding behind the statement has her mind racing. She can feel the way their hands are sweaty where they’re still linked together, but she’s not sure if it’s her, or Blake, or a mix. Before she can respond though, Blake pulls back from her shoulder and Yang turns her head to look at her.

Blake’s flushed, her eyes sad, like she’s afraid of what Yang’s answer is going to be and Yang can’t, for the life of her, fathom why.

Blake shakes her head. “And I… I’m sorry, but they’re wrong,” she says, her grip on Yang’s hand tightening. “Harriet and the rest of them,” she elaborates, “they are so _so _wrong. Because this? What we are? This isn’t a weakness. It’s not wrong. Or bad. Or—or—” she sighs and glances away, frustrated, and Yang wonders just who she’s trying to convince.

But then Blake’s words sink in and Yang finally finds her voice. “_What we are.”_ She repeats Blake’s words, and Blake’s ears twitch up, even though her eyes stay downcast. Yang licks her lips, her gaze dropping to look at their hands as she shifts her ever-so-slightly to turn her body in Blake’s direction. “And what— what are we, Blake?” She hates phrasing it like that because it sounds cliché, but it’s honestly what she wants to know most in the world, and they can’t just keep dancing around it.

“I—I don’t know,” Blake says softly. She unlinks their fingers to take Yang’s hand in both of hers, and Yang watches as she starts playing with her fingers. “But I…” Her eyes flick up and Yang meets her gaze.

Blake’s eyes are something Yang thinks she’s taken for granted. They are _beautiful_. Particularly right now. With the way she’s looking at her; golden amber warm and caring and full of adoration. Yang’s almost having trouble believing it’s all being directed at _her._ Because, while Blake hadn’t finished her sentence, Yang can pretty much guess where it had been going.

Then, Blake’s eyes leave hers, glancing at her mouth instead, and Yang feels like her heart is about to beat out of her chest because Blake is _definitely _getting closer. And Blake’s hand _definitely _just found Yang’s t-shirt, tugging lightly to draw her closer. And Blake’s eyes _definitely _just fluttered shut. And she’s _definitely _going to… she’s— 

Just as Yang’s eyes start to shut – _just_ as she’s about to lean in too – the door to their dorm flies open and Yang and Blake both jump back. Yang’s head once again smacks into the bunk and she bites back a curse, bringing a hand to her head as Blake fights off a smile and puts a couple more inches of space between them.

“Guys, I—oh, sorry! Was I uh… interrupting…” Ruby trails off gesturing vaguely in their direction and Yang shares a quick glance with Blake before shaking her head.

“No,” Yang says. “No, we were just… relaxing. What’s going on?”

Ruby frowns and Yang can tell that whatever the news is, it isn’t good. “There’s a political rally in Mantle. After everything with Weiss’s dad I…” Ruby clears her throat. “Well, there’s a chance it could draw some Grimm attention. So, I know it’s our night off and everything but…”

“I think it’d be something good to be a part of,” Blake says. She looks at Yang and they share a nod before Blake turns back to Ruby. “We’ll be there.”

Ruby lets out a sigh of relief. “Ah, thanks guys! Knew I could count on you. I’m gonna meet Penny down there,” she says, already starting to make her way out the door. “I’ll send you the location on your Scrolls!”

Yang sighs as her sister disappears into the hallway and the door falls shut, leaving her and Blake alone once more. She takes a deep breath to try and clear her head. She’s feeling a little dazed, honestly. From needing to work on their night off. From the hit to the head. From Blake almost kissing her.

_From Blake almost kissing her._

The thought hits her like a ton of bricks and Yang’s breath hitches. They almost…

She clears her throat, slowly starting to try and scoot off Blake’s bed. “We—we should probably get—” Her sentence is cut off with a gasp as she feels a hand land on her arm and soft lips brush against her cheek.

The sensation is gone a moment later as Blake quickly slips off her bed, grabbing her clothes and heading for the door. Yang brings a hand to her cheek, feeling her face go red as Blake pauses with her hand on the handle, looking back in her direction.

Blake smiles at her softly. “Meet you downstairs in five, partner.” And then she slips out the door and Yang’s left with the tingling sensation on her cheek and the warmth spreading throughout her chest.

She shakes her head, laughing lightly. Then, after a moment, she nods, looking at the door. “Partner.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! As always, comments, kudos, etc., are very much welcome and appreciated. I'm always open to constructive criticism as well. 
> 
> Hope you have a great day/ night! See you in the next one! :) 
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: empressofedge


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